LAST NIGHT'S SITTING

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2580, 30 September 1915, Page 6

LAST NIGHT'S SITTING

■ The House sat at 7.30 last evening. The Hon. J. A. HANAN gave notice of his intention to introduce the Friendly Societies Amendment Bill. The Eight Hon. W. F. MASSEY gave notice of the Education Reserves Amendment Bill. The Land Laws Amendment Bill was introduced by Governor's .Message and read a first time.

MINERS' PHTHISIS. The adjourned debate on the second reading of the Miners' Phthisis Bill was resumed. The Bill was read a second time.

RAILWAYS AUTHORISATION. Tho Hon. W. FRASER moved the second reading of the Railways Authorisation Bill. He said that the Bill referred to no new lines. It had beeu the custom in the past to bring down a Bill .authorising, the construction of lines in course of building for a few miles,'but he disapproved, of that practice, and he had. brought down, a Bill to authoriso all the lines in course of construction for their full length. Mr. C. J. PARR (Eden) said that the authorisation for the East Coast Main Trunk would give satisfaction. The railway was an absolute necessity. Mr. 6. HUNTER (Waipawa) reminded the Minister that he had promised to have a flying survey made of the line between Webor and Waipukurau as soon as the surveyors were available. Mr. J. T. M. HORNS'BY (Wairarapa) regretted that no mention was mado of the Rimutaka deviation Mr. Fraser: That is being i surveyed, so I cannot give you authorisation for it. The' Minister said that he had not forgotten his promise to have the Weber- . Waipukurau line surveyed, but his Department was labo\iring under the disadvantage that a good many of the staff had gone to the front. The fault was not his that he had not given effect to the promise, but it would be kept in tbe future. All these iratters would come up again when the Public Works 'Statement came down, so he woul<£ reserve his reply till .then. The Bill was put through Committee without amendment, read a third tome, and passed.

COUNCIL AMENDMENTS. The amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Military Manoeuvres Bill and in the-AVar Funds Bill were agreed to.

CAMINC AMENDMENT BILL, TO ALLOW PATRIOTIC RAFFLES. The Hon. G. W. RUSSELL (Minister of Internal Affairs) moved the second readin" of the Gaining Amendment Bill, and saTd that the enlarged powers given for the issuing of permits for raffles, art unions, etc., would apply only when they (tun w patriotic purpoios. m BUI

was 110 new departure, for the principle of raffles and art unions was already fully recognised in the law A good deal of money had been raised lor patriotic purposes during the last few months by art unions, and- it was recognised that tilings had gone to the extreme. In justification to Sir Francis Bell lie would say that no permits had been issued outside tho scope of the law. When it was seen that matters were going too far a stop was put. to those outside the law. A widespread request had been iradc for tho powers which were embodied.in the Bill. Certain safeguards wore laid down in the Bill, for permits Mere to be issued subject t-o restrictions controlled by the Minister. First of all articles which were the subject of an art union had to bo absolute gifts. Tho application for a permit had to be approved by the Mayor of the town or borough, or approved by tho society controlling the' war fund. All the proceeds had to be handed over to tho war funds. He was not in favour of gambling, and'.lie. regretted the system of raffling mineral specimens, in which the article supposed to be disposed of really represented a cash payment. He would stop in future all such raffles. If the new powers asked for were exercised with caution, which he proposed to exercise, there ■ would be no danger of a- gambling mania -setting in over tho country. Large sums of mono) would be raised by exercising the powers of the Bill.

Mr. G. WITIT (Riccarton) congratulated the Minister on bringing in the Bill, but thought that an 'extension of the present Act would have sufficed.

Measure Strongly Condemned. Mr. J. B. HINE (Stratford) said that lis was not 100 "tight laced," but lie thought the country expected a bit of "backbone" from the National Government. The House should give serious consideration to the matter before passing the Bill. The Government, should get from the public purso ,'uificient for all necessary purposes with regard to tlio soldiers. The public was getting a hit tired of this 'beg, beg, beg," and it 1 was quite time the gambling spirit was put down with a firm hand Mr. J. T. M. HORN3BY (Wairarapa) opposed ' the Bill, for lie looked upon it as an evil commentary on the patriotism of the people. There was a feeling arising that Something should be given in loturn for any assistance given for the wounded soldiers. The Government should not countenance that spirit by passing such a Bill. There were, many generous people who would go on giving without such a travesty as proposed. Mr. C. H. POOLE (Auckland West) entered a protest against such a method of raising money for our wounded soldiers. We had no right to make the claims of the soldiers a question of haphazard chance. Ho commended tlio actions of the Wairarapa people in makiug straight-out demands upon the producers, with a result that had astonished New Zealand. "For God's sake," concluded Mr. Poole, "don't let us lose sight of the fact that by • certain amendments we are not only paying no compliment to the returning men, but are interfering witli the moral fibre of the community to which wo belong."

Another Point of View. Mr. T. M. WILFOBD (Hutt) said that lie would have preferred to see the Government simply call oft the officers of the law and allow patriotic committees to raffle anything they liked for the. benefit of our boys. Mr! Massoy: Contrary to law? Mr. Wilford: You have allowed it ever since the war began. Yon have winked at it. You have bonght tickets yourself as every momber in this House has. Mr. Massev: I bought one from you. Mr. Wilford said that the danger of putting this sort of ; thing into, legislation was that some people would got permits and some would not. Generally his opinion about lotteries was that they should ba under State controlexcept in war time. Thousands of pounds went out of this country every week to Hobart, and tho Government knew of it- It was mock modesty and hypocrisy to pretend that these things were not going on. The only thing to do witli.it was to regulate it by State control. He would be in favour of tho establishment of State lotteries here. He thought the Bill would lead to nothing but confusion. Sir. W. A. VEITOH (Wanganui) said he did not approve of the idea of tho member for Hutt that the Government ought to go on breaking the law. An hon. member: They have done it.

Mr. Veitch: Yes, but it is our duty to put them in a safe and fair position. He thought tlio Bill; made reasonable provision for the • carrying on of raffles, and for the protection of the people against unauthorised collections not wholly-for patriotic purposes. He supported the' Bill.

Mr. J. G. COATES (Kaipara) said that anomalies occurred under the present system. The laxity of the present system lia-d led to abuses. Ho knew of cases where sections of land, horses, and motor-cars had been, "given" at prices above their real value. On this statement being challenged, he cited a case of a car having been given by a company for £345, and the cash price of this car was £330. And the company received £345. This sort of thing would he impossible if the Bill were carried. The motion for the second reading was carried by 34 votes to 11. The division list was as follows:—: Ayes (34): Allen, Bollard, Carroll, Coates, J. 51. Dickson, J. S. Diokson, Escott, T. A. H. Field, W. H. Field, Forbes, Fraser, Guthrie, Harris, Herries, Hunter, Jennings, Hudson, MacDonald, M'Nab, Massey, Nosworthy, Okey, Poland, Pomare, Rhodes, Russell, Scott, Statham, Stewart, Sykes, Voitch, Ward, Wilkinson, Young. Noes (11): Anstey, Bell, Fletcher, Hine, Hornsby, M'Combs, Malcolm, Poole, Thomson, Wilford, Wright. The Bill was put through Committee without amendment, read a third time, and passed.

AUCTIONEERS AMENDMENT BILL. The Auctioneers Amendment Bill, which provides that persons other than auctioneers may sell goods for patriotic purposes, was put through its final stages and passed. The House rose at 1.35 a.m.